Thanks to Greg for sharing photos from south of Alki during this morning’s low tide (even lower the next two afternoons). Above, his daughter Lillie carefully checks out a purple sea star. Next, a great blue heron snags a snack:

And of course, Lillie, Greg, and the heron did not exactly have the beach to themselves:

While the very low (and very high!) tides continue for the next few days, the WSB West Seattle Events Calendar will have information about both the tides and opportunities to talk with beach naturalists. We also have tide information on the WSB Weather page year-round.

You never know what you are going to find on the beach at low tide. This closeup look at an octopus arm found south of Alki Point a few days ago is courtesy of West Seattle photographer Machel Spence. She even found the upper mandible of its beak – the only hard part of an octopus’s body:

Probably not the same octopus – but two weeks ago, Jana and her kids found an intact octopus on a local beach; we’d been saving those photos – click ahead if you’re interested in seeing one:Read More

(Photos by WSB co-publisher Patrick Sand)
A sad procession on Alki less than an hour ago – but one that might ultimately yield some knowledge for the future: A dead harbor porpoise was taken away by biologist Dyanna Lambourn from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Marine Mammal Investigations unit and biologist/stranding coordinator Jessie Huggins from Cascadia Research Collective. Also on hand at the beach this morning, Seal Sitters first responder Robin Lindsey, who got word of the porpoise’s death at mid-afternoon Saturday (the organization is part of a stranding network for all marine mammals, not just seals), and Seal Sitters volunteers David and Eilene Hutchinson. So far we know the porpoise was an adult female, but the cause of her death was not obvious and will require further investigation.

As the biologists (in the photo with camera-wielding Robin) explained to curious passersby, harbor porpoises are not rare and not endangered (read more about them here), but the biologists say they seldom wash up like this – most often, they die at sea and “just disappear.” On the Seal Sitters’ “blubberblog” site, Robin tells the story of the elaborate operation carried out last night to secure the porpoise until it could be picked up this morning; as she writes, it died further east along the Alki shore, and was moved to the spot where we photographed her and the biologists this morning (near the 53rd Avenue Pump Station section of beach). The porpoise is now being taken to a facility in the South Sound.

3:47 PM UPDATE: Robin has updated her report, but the necropsy results aren’t in yet – look for another update (there and here) when they are.

11:03 PM UPDATE: Robin at Seal Sitters has updated her report again with those results. Biologists say the porpoise had a serious lung infection. Full details added at the bottom of her story.

(Click for larger view)
Another peek at a world that’s all around us, yet so small it’s all but out of sight: Photographer Machel Spence explains her image:

I just had to share this because it’s pretty darn amazing! It’s a phantom shrimp I happened to come across down by the water; they are also called skeleton shrimps … this one was fairly small (1/2 an inch) but they can get up to 2 inches. She has a brood pouch too, which I personally have never actually seen with my own eyes (just in books). In the past, I have come across large colonies of these but they move around so much, they can be hard to photograph, but this beautiful girl just stayed completely still (pretty awesome moment!) It was on a piece of eelgrass down at Alki. They are not actually shrimps but amphipods.

(More info about them can be found here.)

While volunteering for Seal Sitters in the Lincoln Park vicinity recently, Alki-based photographer David Hutchinson got a close-up look at the famous white geese who live in the area. (They’ve been discussed on WSB before, but never with such a striking photo – thanks!)

(Monday photo by RyAnn – onlookers young and old with the dead sea lion on the beach)
The California sea lion found dead at Lincoln Park earlier this week had been shot, reports Robin Lindsey of Seal Sitters. She had told us the sea lion would be necropsied – and late Thursday night, she sent word of results:

I am sad to report that indeed the necropsy yesterday revealed a bullet in the left lung lobe of the California sea lion at Lincoln Park. The animal’s intestines were also twisted and will be examined. Causes can range from obstruction by fishing lures and line to tumors, but could also be from trauma of the shooting. WDFW Marine Mammal Investigations will turn over the evidence and information to NOAA Office for Law Enforcement for investigation.

Robin has published more details on the Seal Sitters’ “Blubberblog” site.

On the shore at Lincoln Park Monday, lessons in life and death. First – a California sea lion was discovered dead on the shore. Above, RyAnn shared the photo above, which she described as “three little explorers, the seal, and a gentle man who works at the aquarium.”

Cathy also sent us a report about the dead sea lion, which she said was being checked out by a Seattle Police officer while she was there. But she also spotted a baby seal on the beach: “Seal Sitters were there watching over him and I had a wonderful time chatting with the husband and wife team that was ‘on duty’.” Here’s her photo:

That may not have been the only seal pup on shore Monday, according to an update on the Seal Sitters‘ “blubberblog” site, which mentions a pup visiting Lincoln Park twice, and another (or MAYBE the same) pup visiting a “private beach” elsewhere in West Seattle.

ADDED 12:41 PM: From Robin Lindsey of Seal Sitters:

Seal Sitters Marine Mammal Stranding Network (SSMMSN) discovered the California sea lion yesterday, took photos and submitted them to our consulting WDFW marine mammal biologist. The animal will be necropsied by a WDFW Marine Mammal Investigations Unit team tomorrow with assistance of SSMMSN volunteers. In the meantime, people need to stay back from the carcass – marine mammals (dead and alive) can transmit diseases to both humans and dogs. Please respect the biodegradable tape perimeter that will be re-established today.

The sea lion will be secured with a rope to the logs on the beach so that the body is not washed away by high tide before tomorrow’s necropsy.

ADDED 4:08 PM: We asked Robin about suspicion the sea lion might have been shot, given the appearance of a couple photos we received (too graphic to publish). Her reply:

> Rumors about the animal being shot are strictly that – rumors. Often what people assume are bullet holes are nothing of the kind. In reality, according to our consulting expert biologist, bullet wounds are usually quite small and difficult to identify on a large, decomposing animal. And locating a bullet that is embedded in hundreds of pounds of muscle and tissue is a difficult endeavor. The wound that folks are speculating about may just be where the animal has been scavenged by birds, pecking through the flesh. However, this is not to say, it is absolutely not an entry wound that has been enlarged by scavenging. This is the reason the stranding network performs necropsies whenever possible – to try to determine the cause of death and keep an eye on the health of our marine mammal populations.

It is indeed a sad fact that too many sea lions and seals are shot each year, unjustly blamed for dwindling fish stocks – when they are just trying to survive in the wild with less and less resources to support them.

We will keep everyone updated as to the necropsy findings tomorrow.

Following the sad news about Frosty the seal pup, West Seattle-based Seal Sitters was heartened to end the year with a visit from this pup, promptly dubbed “Bubbles.” Seal Sitters’ Robin Lindsey shared the video of Bubbles; you can see more of her video and photos as pup visits (and other “news on the beach”) is chronicled on their Blubberblog site, where you’ll also find their year-end wrap-up – as noted here previously, it was a record year for pup sightings on local beaches, keeping the all-volunteer Seal Sitters busy. If you see a seal or other marine mammal on a local beach, call them at 206-905-SEAL (7325).

News tonight from Robin Lindsey of Seal Sitters:

I thought your readers might want to know that seal pup Spanky was rescued successfully today after falling off a high rock, deep into a hole between immense boulders late yesterday afternoon. It was quite a challenging predicament for the little pup who could not climb back out – and we could not reach in far enough to get him. Spanky has been a fixture along the west side rocks since we first discovered him on October 5th, entertaining volunteers and onlookers almost daily with his antics. We want to thank everyone who has respected the stranding network’s tape perimeter which has been put in place on busier days so he could rest undisturbed. Thankfully, we have had a good ending to this nerve-wracking incident and we hope Spanky returns to his rocky stretch of beach – just not to this particular rock!

Robin says a state wildlife worker turned into a seal-rescuing “superhero” to get Spanky out of there – she tells the story on Seal Sitters’ “Blubberblog” site. (And remember that if you see a seal, or any marine mammal, on a local beach, call 206-905-7325 [SEAL] to let SS know.)

As noted here previously, including this report yesterday, seal-pup season is at its height, on beaches all around West Seattle. Wildlife watcher/writer/photographer Trileigh Tucker saw this one today – and mentions this sweet encounter:

There was another seal pup on a West Seattle beach this morning, and a kind passerby named Barbara was caring enough to wait with it until Robin Lindsey of Seal Sitters arrived. I was so touched by how respectful and considerate all the Sunday morning walkers were of this little seal’s need to rest.

I was particularly moved by a little girl, accompanied by her parents, who spontaneously sang to the pup, a wake-up song just like her mother apparently sang to her. If her parents see this, they should know that their daughter gives me hope for our future!

Trileigh’s website Natural Presence tells a longer version of the tale.

Yet another reason to remember the tenet “Share the Shore” (noticed the new Alki banners yet?) – the latest seal sighting, shared this time by West Seattle-based entrepreneur/speaker Sunny Kobe Cook (thanks!), who says her photo shows:

A newly identified, healthy harbor-seal pup, named “Cupcake” by visitors to Jack Block Park this afternoon. A Seal Sitters volunteer came, took pictures, recorded the find, set up a tape barrier to be sure the pup wasn’t disturbed, and provided information to park visitors.

Watch the Seal Sitters “Blubberblog” site for news on other recent pup sightings on local beaches, and remember that if you see a seal, or any marine mammal, on a local beach, call 206-905-7325 (SEAL) to let SS know.

Friday was a busy day for Seal Sitters on West Seattle shores, as first responder Robin Lindsey writes on their Blubberblog website. The final pup report of the day gives rise to a reminder – if you see a pup on the beach, stay as far away as you can, and keep others away too, until Seal Sitters can get a volunteer there to keep watch. We received a Twitter report of the Lincoln Park sighting, photo included, along with a question about who to call; we replied with the Seal Sitters’ number (we suggest adding it to your contact list – 206-905-SEAL [905-7325]) and advice to keep everybody back. Robin writes that the pup was apparently scared back into the water, which can be deadly – they are usually left on the beach by their moms, who go off to find food and return for their nursing pups, and if the pup is scared into the water, mom might not find it. Read more about how to handle marine-mammal sightings at sealsitters.org.